Careers in land management are diverse and rewarding. Clicking on the icons below, learn more about the various careers areas that exist in land management, the types of jobs available, activities undertaken in these jobs and what type of qualifications and experiences are needed.

Community and Education roles play an important part in informing, educating and engaging the wider public on the current challenges and practices within land management. Bringing together an understanding of land management as well the skills and knowledge to engage, communicate and educate people, careers in Community and Education involve working directly with people to help them understand the land and how it is being managed for its multiple values.

Our landscape has a rich, diverse and unique range of plants and animals as well as significant cultural and historical items from pre and post European settlement. Careers in conservation, culture and biodiversity are just as unique and diverse and involve the undertaking of programs and activities to assist with the preservation and protection of these important aspects of our landscape.

Environmental sustainability involves undertaking activities that reduce the negative effects humans have on the natural landscape to ensure that it is not significantly damaged or degraded now and into the future. Careers in environmental sustainability involve finding solutions and taking actions to solve the most pressing environmental problems across the landscape.

Fire has played an integral part in shaping the ecology of the Australian landscape yet fires are also a significant threat to humans, particularly in areas where people and the natural environment interact. Careers in fire involve the planning of undertaking of bushfire suppression and prescribed burning activities to reduce fire hazard through to the monitoring, reporting and management of the effect these activities have on other landscape values such as biodiversity, water quality and cultural heritage.

Landscape and building designers work at the interface between the natural and build environments ensuring to help connect urban environments with the surrounding landscapes in an appropriate and functional way. Careers in landscape and building design incorporate the analysis, planning, design and management for values including aesthetics, amenity, safety and climate modification in areas such as parks, recreation, urban design, streetscapes and public spaces.

Natural Landscapes are made up of a diverse range of ecosystems that support and provide us with many things that we value. Careers in natural landscape involve working with range of stakeholders to make sure the land is managed in a way that takes into account the many values and beliefs that society has for it.

Parks and reserves protect some of the country’s most stunning natural areas and provide special places for people to enjoy and appreciate these spectacular landscapes. Careers in parks and reserves are diverse and fulfilling involving the delivery of programs and activities throughout the parks and reserve systems in areas such as weeds and pests, biodiversity, tourism, recreation and maintenance.

Productive Landscapes encompass a broad range of land management practices across production based activities such as forestry and forest products, agriculture, horticulture and mining. Careers in Productive Landscapes act at the interface between production, the landscape and the environment where activities may involve developing better strategies to manage forests for their multiple values within a production context, advising large mining companies on how to reduce their environmental footprint or inspiring sustainable agricultural or horticultural practices across the landscape.

Landscape restoration aims to restore ecosystems and habitats that have been damaged or degraded by human activities such as mining, agriculture or urban development and protect them into the future. Careers in landscape restoration begin with the identification of degraded land and continue through to the monitoring of the success of these activities in restoring ecosystem and habitats.

Water is an important asset that requires active management to ensure that rivers, lakes, estuaries and wetlands remain healthy whilst providing a sustainable supply to homes, businesses and irrigation farming. Careers in water start at the catchment and continue all the way to the tap covering both above and below ground water supplies as well as the surrounding landscape.

Please note that the sample jobs outlined here come from real job descriptions which have been adapted for this website to provide a guide on some of the current land management jobs and the qualifications needed to undertake them. Job descriptions have been sourced from NRM jobs and descriptions adapted with the help of Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). Land Your Career would like to acknowledge the generous assistance provided by these organisations.